The Legend of Sunset Shimmer: Majora's Mask
By Ganondorf8
February 13, 2017
Chapter 44: Other Side.
I've been in some serious situations so far throughout this journey, yet this one would be classified as being utterly ridiculous. Not only was I unable to fight back against a monster that was so pathetically easy--compared to other monsters--I was trapped inside of a giant blob of water that was sentient and being pummeled. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't move any part of my body. It reminded me of when I got frozen that one time by that Freezard in the Ice Cavern on my previous journey--I'm surprised I remembered that--though this was more humiliating rather than agonizing as that was.
When I was frozen on the spot, I felt completely powerless, and it reminded me why I didn't like the snow compared to my friends. They all loved frolicking about--or what constitutes as such--while I preferred staying indoors unless I had to come out for obvious reasons. In this case, I was powerless along with feeling humiliated because I could have avoided this had I struggled hard enough to break free of the blobby mass that was the Mad Jelly.
Not even Princess Twilight was able to free herself and give me the necessary advice I needed, yet she wasn't the one who was being pounded on by a monster who was apparently taking its sweet time of things. Rather than just punch, kick, and whatever else it could think of in a quick fashion to punish me, the Mad Gecko was taking its sweet time over dealing what amounted to pitiful damage, a reminder that it was a weak monster compared to others. Yet it had complete control and all I could do was wait for it to finally kick me out of this blasted mass of jelly. I couldn't help but feel jealous over how Her Highness avoided most monster attacks all because she was a fairy.
The Mad Gecko continued attacking me in its slow manner--my temper was already boiling at this point over how it was so slow--and while the damage was pitiful as I mentioned before, it was stacking up and that meant my health was draining away. With every blow it made, it snickered before continuing with the assault though every now and again, it looked around for something--I didn't know what could be important for it to even do that. In any case, I hoped that it would kick me out of this mass because my desire for revenge over being humiliated like this was growing stronger.
Wow... I couldn't believe that I actually thought about revenge. That was an emotion I hadn't felt since my days of being a bully. Did I really feel so embarrassed over being trapped in a blob that my mind was contemplating reviving something I used to do against anyone who thought they could beat me? Desperation was something that frightened me and played right into Ganondorf's hands. He wanted me to resort to using evil feelings so that he could groom me into becoming his loyal servant. If I were to succumb to this emotion, I'd embarrass Princess Twilight, the one who offered her hand in friendship, the one who gave me a second chance.
Shaking my head--or as close to it as I could given the situation--I chose instead to accept my fate and wait for the Mad Gecko to finish what it was doing. After punching, kicking, and even biting me on my arm for some strange reason, it spun its arm around a few times before delivering an uppercut--it was weak but had a remarkable amount of force behind it--that freed me from the Mad Jelly though I ended up landing on my back on the other side of the room. It then moved back up to the ceiling and waited for me to make a response though I was more inclined towards checking to make sure nothing was broken.
" That... was unpleasant." I said as I shivered.
" I actually found it somewhat riveting myself." Twilight said.
" Somehow, I'm not surprised that you just said that."
" It's not everyday that you get to be inside of a living mass of water." Twilight said. " The only thing that comes to mind that we have in Equestria is The Smooze, an old acquaintance of Discord's though it's more slime based than anything else."
" You... Never told me about that one."
" I could go on for days discussing The Smooze, but I don't think now is a good time."
" Still can't believe you found being stuck in a blob 'riveting'."
Princess Twilight clasped her hands together and stars appeared in her eyes. " Ever since we first entered Great Bay Temple, I've been fascinated by so much wonder, I actually feel jealous knowing that Equestria doesn't have anything of the sort. If we weren't on a serious mission to save three worlds from being destroyed, I would seriously consider staying here as long as possible until I uncovered every last detail." I smiled smugly and rolled my eyes to which Her Highness noticed. " Ahem... Sorry, my mind got so focused on such possibilities that I forgot that we were dealing with something."
I rolled my eyes again. " You're just being you, Twilight."
" I just can't help myself, Sunset."
I got back onto my feet and looked up at the Mad Jelly. " I'm surprised that it hasn't decided to attack considering I had my back on the floor. Still, I was shocked at how much of a radius the Mad Jelly had when it drops down. I need to make sure to keep away otherwise I'll get pulled back in and pummeled in a humiliating manner."
" You already figured out that Ice Arrows will freeze the mass up there and bring it crashing down."
" Yeah, but it dropped down so quickly that I couldn't get a clean shot."
" This is what's known as having to be quick." Twilight said. " Sometimes, you can't afford to take your time with something as that ends up costing you. Instead, you simply do it without thinking and hope that it works. I know it sounds pretty stupid--and it is--but such split-second decisions are necessary."
" You make it sound like it's easy."
" That's because it is."
I couldn't come up with a response to her. Deep down, I knew she was right in that I had to do things quickly because time wouldn't wait for me, but I wished she hadn't said it like that. Despite how far I had come on this journey, I still had some issues over self-doubt and believing in my own abilities. I may not express such feelings on the outside but they were always on my mind on the inside. Aiming and firing Ice Arrows without taking the time to find my target was something that was beyond my abilities, yet it seemed I had no other choice but to adapt quickly.
The Mad Gecko, a monster that I thought was going to be easy, ended up being a lot more difficult than I thought it was. It told me that I still had a ways to go on a physical plane but also an emotional one. I was still a child who thought that everything was going great with my life since reforming. My maturity wasn't as strong as I thought it was and this was obvious whenever I threw a tantrum resulting from letting my anger cloud my judgment. Perhaps this journey was meant to show me how to be better matured and break free of the remnants of my past? Maybe but I first needed to test this to ensure that was the case.
After waiting long enough, the Mad Gecko commanded the Mad Jelly to slither over my position and drop down on me like before, but this time I wasn't about to let that happen knowing what comes next. Following Princess Twilight's advice, I aimed my bow up at the mass, firing an Ice Arrow before it could drop, turning it into a huge chunk of ice. The frozen mass attempted to shatter itself free from its icy prison but it wasn't going to happen since the weight proved too much. Like an apple falling from a tree, the mass dropped down, smashing upon impact, splitting the Mad Jelly into pieces with the Mad Gecko hopping away.
" It's getting away!" I shouted as I ran after it.
" It will attack the same way it did when the battle first started." Twilight said. " It will toss blobs of jelly at you that you need to avoid otherwise you'll get hit. I suggest not wasting your magic here as like I said before, not all monsters can be frozen by the Ice Arrows."
Nodding my head, I switched to my sword and shield just as the Mad Gecko tossed a blob at me. " I didn't say this before but this jelly is disgusting." I said as the blob struck me in the chest knocking the wind out of me for a brief moment. " When this journey is over, I may never be able to look at any jelly the same way again."
" I feel the same way."
Running after the Mad Gecko proved tricky as it continued tossing blobs of jelly at me, and while I avoided each one by rolling underneath them, it was preventing me from catching up to it, so I opted to try my prior strategy again of changing directions and cutting it off. Unfortunately, it had since learned and decided to jump over me and in the opposite direction leaving me to turn around and chase it.
It was at that point my stamina was beginning to show signs of running out. While I could easily run a marathon back at Canterlot High--though, not as fast as Rainbow Dash--I couldn't maintain such a pace what with having heavy equipment on my person--I was beginning to realize the disadvantages of having items. So long as the Mad Gecko knew how to adapt to what I was doing, I had no chance of defeating it and the chances of being pulled into the Mad Jelly were ever increasing. That's when I came up with an idea though I slapped my forehead knowing it could have been done sooner, yet I was afraid due to the potential of wasting magic.
Switching back to the Hero's Bow but removing the Ice Arrows, I began firing arrows at the Mad Gecko while running. Normally, running while shooting a bow wasn't recommended as your shots would be largely inaccurate yet I had no other choice as the battle had dragged on longer than I had expected. My initial arrows failed to hit their target though eventually, I would hit it after firing what must have been fifteen arrows. The Mad Gecko turned around, screamed at the top of its lungs, and the blobs all came together and formed the giant blob that was the Mad Jelly again.
" So that's how its attack pattern works." I said. " Pretty simple once you figure it out."
" You wasted a lot of arrows, Sunset."
I checked my quiver to see how many I had left. " I've got about ten more to go before I'm out."
Princess Twilight sighed. " You really need to go out of your way to get a larger quiver some time. This is like the third time now that you've almost run out of arrows when in a dire situation and it needs to be addressed soon! Before we go to the final region of Termina, we're going to spend an entire three day cycle acquiring better equipment, items, and even masks so that this doesn't become a constant problem."
" There should be some arrows in those boxes at each corner of the room."
" You'd best be careful not to get caught by the Mad Jelly again."
Running towards the closest set of boxes--they were to my right--the Mad Jelly slithered over to my location and dropped down from the ceiling though I was just barely able to get out of its radius preventing it from pulling me into itself. Since I had no time to pick up and toss the crates, I opted to roll into them for a faster result. My rewards included the necessary arrows along with a magic jar which would no doubt prove useful.
The instant I picked up the magic jar and restored my power, I was about to switch to an Ice Arrow when the Mad Jelly dropped down a second time. I honestly thought it could only come down in such a manner once every couple of minutes, but instead it could drop just like that without warning. So once again, the giant mass caught me in its goopy grip, my feet struggling to break free but to no avail, and eventually getting pulled in where the Mad Gecko waited. No doubt it enjoyed my misery though since my mind was clearer than it was before, all I could do was wait until it had finished toying with me.
As I was slowly being pummeled, I frowned knowing that this was embarrassing yet I took it with stride as the alternative meant seeking revenge. Princess Twilight, who also got caught in the Mad Jelly's grip, once again couldn't do anything though her expression told me she was enjoying herself to an extent. I guessed that when you're a bookworm, you tend to ignore obvious dangers in the name of seeing something new and exciting.
Once the Mad Gecko had finished punching and kicking me--it bit me on the shoulder this time instead of my arm--it delivered an uppercut that knocked out of the mass and I landed a lot closer than before, yet still on my back. The mass then rose back up and began slithering over so that it could drop down on me again. I wasn't about to deal with that for a third so I quickly switched over to the Ice Arrow, loaded it into bow and fired it, freezing the Mad Jelly. It shook a couple of times before crashing down onto the ground, shattering into pieces, and the Mad Gecko hoping away in hopes of finding a projectile.
Before it had the chance to pick one up, I switched back to the regular arrows, and fired as many as possible until one of them struck it in the back. This turned out to be the final hit as it spun around a few times and dropped to the ground, disappearing and leaving behind an ordinary frog. As for the Mad Jelly, the various pieces began dissipating like it were made of ice and melting away. Finally, both doors unlocked allowing me access to the Boss Key. Despite how humiliating this battle had been, it turned out pretty well though I knew that I needed to work on aiming and not wasting any arrows.
" You did it, Sunset!"
" That wasn't my best experience."
" Maybe not but you were able to overcome the odds."
I then looked down at the frog that appeared. " Just like what happened with the other Mad Gecko, a frog appeared upon this one's defeat. I have a feeling Starlight Glimmer used her magic to change it into a monster, yet there is something I want to try."
Princess Twilight then noticed me taking out Don Gero's Mask. " Huh? What are you doing taking that out here? I'm not sure now is a good time to try wearing a mask that doesn't possess any kind of powers."
" No, I think this is a perfect time."
" What do you mean?"
I slipped Don Gero's Mask onto my face. " Remember when we first got this mask from the Goron version of Photo Finish? She said that this mask could allow me to talk to the frogs that were part of the choir, and I think this frog happens to be one of them." I walked over until I was standing over the frog and it looked up at me in response with curiosity. " We could learn something by doing this or we might just learn more about this world's lore. Besides, you love learning new things."
" You've got me there."
Just as I was about to talk to the frog, a howling sound echoed around me indicating that the sun had gone down outside and night was upon us once again.
Night of the Second Day - 36 Hours Remain
The battles against both Wart and the Mad Gecko had taken up more time than I thought, so that meant I needed to make this conversation a quick one--I figured exploring the remaining rooms within the temple would take me a couple of hours and the boss monsters even longer. I squatted down and began talking. " Um... Excuse me? Do you mind if I can ask you a couple of questions?"
" Ah! Don Gero! It has been so long since I last saw you. Hmmm... Is it just me or have you lost some weight since last time?" It seemed that this mask convinced the frog that I was this person so I decided to go along with it. " You must tell me how you were able to do that some time."
" You seem pleasant."
" Of course." The frog then began hopping up and down in a feverish manner and I waved my hands to get it to calm down. " Forgive me for being so excited, but I am honoured that you came all this way looking for me. You need not be surprised. Your face is telling me this is true so I understand." I wasn't entirely sure if I believed what the frog was saying, but I chose to go along with it just to be on the safe side. It then began looking around its surroundings indicating that it didn't know where it was. " This is surely a strange place for us to be meeting one another, Don Gero, very strange indeed."
" What are you doing here?"
" To be honest, I do not understand that myself. I remember heading towards the mountains to gather with my fellow frogs in hopes of getting to perform but then someone with a strange face appeared before me and everything turned dark. My first thought was that I would become either someone's dinner but I ended up in this strange place. I have no idea how long it has been but I wish to no longer be here."
" EWWWW!" I exclaimed, my tongue stuck out in disgust. " Who would want to eat frogs?"
" Many eat our kind out of the desire to try a unique delicacy."
It sounded like the frog considered me one of its own because of the mask. " I guess some people have strange tastes." If Fluttershy were here and discovered that people ate frogs in this world--much like how some cultures did so in the world I called home, she would have fainted without a moment's hesitation. " What are your plans now? You're free to do whatever you like."
" I had hoped to go to the mountains and await my fellow frogs but it seems spring has not come there."
" Why would you go there?"
" My fellow frogs have been waiting to perform for you but it seems that will never happen now. A shame really as the great Don Gero has graced me with his presence. If spring returns to the mountains, you can find me there although I don't know about the others. What could they possibly be doing? In any case, I hope to see you again in the mountains once the snow has thawed."
Before I could say anything in response, the frog disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving me to contemplate what had just happened. Fortunately, I had encountered other frogs who looked identical to this one--though they were different colours--yet I never could do anything about them since I didn't have Don Gero's Mask, the one thing that allowed me to communicate with them. If I recalled correctly, there was one frog in Woodfall Temple trapped in the monstrous guise of the other Mad Gecko, one that I saw during the Swamp Cruise Tour sitting on a log, one that was hiding amongst some flowers where I found the Stray Fairy of Clock Town when I first arrived, and one near the Mountain Smithy.
Along with this fifth frog, I deduced that I had seen all five members--I assumed there were five based on what I've seen--of their gathering and that I could easily gather them all together to see them perform whatever it is they desired. Of course, it wasn't as easy as it seemed as one involved going through the first temple again to defeat the Mad Gecko and saving it, and needing spring to return to the mountains involved defeating Goht for a second time. Was it worth doing it? My brain suggested otherwise and focus on awakening the remaining giants yet my heart insisted on helping them even if meant going back to previous locations.
There was something else that frog said that burned into my mind, and it had to do with the person it encountered before ending up here. There was only one person who had a strange face, and that was Starlight Glimmer, though I wasn't surprised by this revelation. Her magic was growing more powerful if she could change an innocent creature into a monster, yet who was to say she had reached her full potential? If anything, she could merely be scratching the surface of what the mask contains. Yet, at the same time, I was beginning to suspect that she might not be in complete control as appearance suggested.
Granted, I hadn't seen her do all of these things, rather, I heard about her actions from others, but she went from simple pranks to wanting destruction. No one with magic could make such a leap that quickly without proper training and wanting to do that sort of thing so Starlight could be getting influenced by someone else. My first thought was Ganondorf yet he would rather do it himself even if he did manipulate others into carrying out his bidding.
" What are you thinking about, Sunset?" Twilight asked, breaking my concentration. " You were daydreaming again only this time you looked much more serious about it. Did something that frog say struck a nerve?"
I slowly nodded my head. " At first, I was thinking about whether or not to help unite all the frogs--I'm going to do it eventually--but as soon as it mentioned the 'someone with a strange face' remark, I knew it was referring to Starlight, and it got me thinking that perhaps she isn't in complete control of her magic."
" Huh? What makes you suggest that?"
" Something in my heart is gnawing away at it and telling me so."
" That's quite an unusual conviction."
" You think I could be wrong?"
Princess Twilight shrugged her shoulders. " I don't see how you came to that conclusion."
" We know Starlight started off pulling harmless pranks using the power of her mask, right?" I asked. Princess Twilight nodded since she was the one who initially told me that by tapping into the memories of the character she was portraying, Tatl. " From what we've seen with our own eyes lately, Starlight has moved on from pranks and desires to bring this world to destruction by dropping a moon on it along with everything else she has been doing."
" When you put it that way..."
" I'll be honest, Twilight. My conviction does sound pretty weak but it's what I choose to believe."
" Guess all I can do is go along with it."
" Don't you want to combat it or something?"
Princess Twilight shook her head and smiled. " This is your adventure, Sunset, even if I am here with you--I'm merely along for the ride--so in the end, you're the one who has to make such important decisions that will help determine whether or not three different worlds can be saved. I know it's a lot of pressure on your shoulders but this is nothing compared with what you've done in the past. I need some more proof that Starlight's actions aren't her own but you could be right about her."
" We need to save the remaining giants then."
" It's our best chance of defeating her."
" Yeah."
" And Ganondorf?"
" I'll... get back to you on that."
Dealing with the likes of Starlight was easy since we knew what she was doing. Her magic was dangerous since we had no idea what kind of powers she possessed through wearing her mask, but she was nothing compared to Ganondorf. His motives were shrouded in secrecy and covered in darkness, his words confusing and ambiguous, his power far beyond that of mere mortals, a portion of that same power flowed throughout my body thanks to the Triforce of Courage. If I could, I'd rather face off against Starlight any day of the week instead of Ganondorf, but fate wasn't on my side this time.
Looking down at my hand, I could barely see the mark of the Triforce glowing back at me, a sign that I was destined for something much more. What that destiny was remained unknown as it constantly changed with the ebbs and flows that often are associated with this kind of thing. The only thing I knew was that Princess Twilight was also a part of this destiny since she possessed the Triforce of Wisdom--if what Ganondorf said was true though his words were cryptic at best. Since he came from the future, he possessed all three pieces which begged the question of who had the remaining piece, the Triforce of Power, in this time?
There was no point in dwelling any further on it. If I continued to persist, all it would give me was a migraine alongside a near infinite number of questions with no answers attached to them. It would be something that I'd probably discover later on anyway.
Turning towards the now unlocked doors, I was surprised to see that the door I needed to use was right next to the one I entered the room from. I didn't think a place like this would have such a feature but then this temple felt more like a giant machine than an ancient building. Before moving on, I made sure to pick up some spare arrows and magic jars by smashing the remaining crates, and upon finishing, I entered the previous room through the other door, walked around a corner, and gazed upon the chest that housed the Boss Key. I didn't understand why it needed to be placed in a special chest, but who was I to complain about something so trivial.
Opening the chest and taking out the Boss Key, I pocketed it and noticed something out of the corner of my eye. There was a fairly large square-shaped hole in the metal fence that I honestly never noticed before until seeing it from this side of the room. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear I could jump through it and back to the other side without having to waste precious sections going back into the other room.
" Looks like we'll have to take the long way back." I said as I took out the Zora Mask.
" Actually, I was hoping we could try something."
" What did you have in mind?"
" I suspect that we can warp back to the beginning of the temple if you play the Song of Soaring."
" Is that even possible?"
Princess Twilight nodded. " The song allows you to warp to locations that house those Owl Statues you've struck so it's fair to assume that you can warp back to the beginning of the temple using the same method."
My jaw dropped followed by my eyes bugging out. If what Princess Twilight said was true, I could warp back to the start of any temple just by playing that one song!? Did I go through torment of backtracking to the start of the previous temple when I could have skipped all of that entirely!? My temper suddenly rose and I wanted nothing more than to throw a hissy fit, pound my fists into a wall, and scream as loud as possible. In the midst of my rage, I quickly calmed down knowing what happens whenever my anger consumed me. Besides, that was all in the past now and I needed to move ahead to the future.
Still, I wished that I had known this much sooner. I could have saved precious time that could have been used to complete other tasks a little quicker without having to worry about running out of time. Putting my mask away, taking out the Ocarina of Time from the pouch on my belt, and looking down at it, I felt like pounding my head into the wall not from being angry but from being stupid for not realizing how important my instrument really was. It served me well on my previous journey yet had been neglected during this one in favour of the masks yet this was a mistake on my part.
The ocarina was perhaps more important than the masks and I had completely ignored that fact. Maybe I ought to give it more attention by playing it in places even when I don't really need to. Sure I have my guitar back home that allows me to express my musical talents, but the ocarina was an instrument most people didn't know how to play nor knew that it existed. I had grown accustomed to playing it--I still struggled with it from time to time--and wouldn't just cast it aside once everything was back to normal. Perhaps I could purchase my own one--it wouldn't be the same of course--and practice just in case something like this happened in the future.
I sighed. " Guess we might as well go back to the beginning. Besides, we have to anyway in order to change the direction of the water current."
" Are you okay, Sunset?"
I shook my head. " I wish I had known about that sooner."
" It was my fault for not realizing it." Twilight said. " The blame is on my shoulders."
" As my fairy companion, you are meant to offer advice to help me deal with any situation that proves difficult." I said. " Knowing the secrets of the ocarina is something that I'm supposed to know since I used the blasted thing last time." My temper began flaring up again and I responded by performing the breathing exercises Her Highness taught me until my mind was clear once again. " There's no point in worrying about it now."
" Shall we go back then?"
I nodded my head. " Okay." I didn't have the heart to tell Her Highness that during my previous journey, she was the one who gave me the Ocarina of Time to keep it safe from those who desired it for their own evil ways. Technically, she knew more about it than I did though that was a different version of her. The Twilight who was with me now was the one who gave me a second chance and not the princess of a ruined kingdom. " This should only last for several seconds."
Playing the Song of Soaring, wings appeared on my back, wrapped themselves around me, and began spinning me around until I disappeared into the ether. Several seconds later--ironic that I was correct about that--and I reappeared back at the entrance to the Great Bay Temple, the turtle lurching its neck back slightly upon my sudden appearance. Looking down at the ocarina again, I still found it difficult to believe that I never considered warping in this manner. Heck, it made travelling around Termina much easier since I didn't have to do as much walking/running as before.
Sighing, I walked up to the door, opened it, and entered the next room where I looked up to see the small waterwheel for the first time since I initially left this room. The red pipe was now glowing indicating that water was flowing through it enabling me to change the water current, but first I most likely needed to activate a switch so that the water could come out of the red funnel the pipe connected to and push the waterwheel in the opposite direction.
It didn't take long to find the switch--it was on top of a platform supported by a couple of columns on the opposite end of the room--so that meant having to work my way back over there though such a trek wasn't really all that long. First, I waited for the rising platform to come down before jumping onto it, and when it rose up to the upper ledge, I jumped off and pulled out my bow, firing an arrow at the Skulltula above me before it could drop down and knock me off of the ledge and into the water below. At least my reaction time was getting better as in the past, that monster would have easily succeeded in attacking me.
Jumping on some water coming out of a yellow funnel and onto the other side, I walked around the corner until I came upon the platform that housed the switch in question. I had hoped that I could have just walked down to it but it seemed that jumping would be my means of getting over there, but then my eyes noticed another red funnel hiding behind and below the platform, water rose up from it every now and again. Looking up and seeing a Hookshot plate told me what I needed to do to reach the platform, and I felt relieved knowing that a random jump was now no longer necessary.
Switching over the Hookshot, I aimed and fired at the Hookshot plate, the chain connecting with a loud thud moments later, and pulled me up before dropping me down onto the water--for a moment I thought I'd get hurt what with it being a long drop--where I waited for it to rise. Jumping onto the platform, I noticed that this switch looked different compared with all the others I'd seen thus far, yet a similar one could be seen close by next to the yellow funnel, water coming from it pushed against the waterwheel.
" So that's how this works."
" You figured it out?"
" Like I said at the beginning, Sunset, everything in this temple is connected together like it were one giant machine." Twilight answered. " By bringing the water back from where we found the Ice Arrows, we can now reverse the water's flow and explore the rooms we couldn't access. First, you'll need to activate this switch though it will shut everything down as the two bursts of water will cancel each other out. When this one is working, you'll need to shut the other one off to reverse the water flow."
" Do you think we'll be able to rescue the remaining Stray Fairies this way?"
Princess Twilight nodded. " Yes, though I think we may need to figure out where that green pipe leads to. It needed to be activated for a reason otherwise there would have been no reason to go into that room other than rescuing the Stray Fairy in the treasure chest."
" Looks like I'll be going Zora for a while."
" You'll need to in order to swim through the underwater currents."
That didn't surprise me in the least. Sighing... again, I put away the Hookshot, took out the Zora Mask, and placed it on my face. I then squatted down and watched as my body changed from being a human to a Zora--I placed my hand on the switch so as to not fall off into the water as I didn't want to have to climb back up here again--until the transformation was over, and began pushing the switch to see if that would do something. Nothing happened so I pulled it and it miraculously turned until it came to a stop although it didn't sink into the ground like the previous ones did.
The red funnel below the waterwheel began to spew forth water causing the wheel to come to a complete stop yet I couldn't help but feel that this was a kind of nirvana since nothing was currently working. I thought about going back and seeing if I could swim through an underwater passage without needing to reverse the flow, but that idea got killed in a hurry upon seeing that everything mechanical in the room had shut down.
Luckily, the other switch was right below so I jumped down into the water, swam over a little bit, climbed out onto the platform, and pulled on this switch, turning it around until it clicked into place. This caused the water coming from the yellow funnel to stop, allowing the water from the red funnel to push up on the waterwheel, effectively reversing the flow of water and opening up new pathways.
Unfortunately, it meant subjecting myself to the whim of being pulled down a passageway that I didn't need to go down like what happened earlier all because I wasn't strong enough to break free from the powerful current. I was hoping that there wasn't much more to the temple since it had already taken its toll on me both physically and emotionally, yet deep down I knew this could never be true as the boss monster lurked down one of the paths I hadn't gone down yet. Just thinking about the boss waiting for me to reach it made me think about what kind of monster it was going to be.
To be fair, the previous two didn't really have anything to do with the main theme of the temples they were located in, but perhaps this next one would break that trend and be something that related to water, this temple's theme. The only thing I could think of was fish though that would be rather redundant as well as predictable. I supposed I'd find out when I finally reach its chamber, but first I needed to make my way back to the central chamber. Despite everything now flowing in reverse, at least the rising platform was still moving in the same manner as before or else I'd be up the creek as it were without a means of getting back.
Several minutes later, I reached the central chamber and already I could see the difference regarding the water flow. Everything was now going in reverse, including the giant waterwheel, and that meant two passageways were no longer accessible until the original water flow came back. Good thing I had picked up everything along those paths otherwise I'd have to backtrack before finishing the temple.
" What do you suppose the other paths will feature?"
" I'm not sure." Twilight answered. " But you need to go down the right one or else we might end up reaching a place we're not supposed to access yet. Granted, we can go straight to the boss room now since we have the key, yet I'm sure you want to save the remaining Stray Fairies, right?"
I nodded my head. " I'm going to need all of their abilities if I hope to make it through to the end."
" Do you wonder what the next Great Fairy will grant you?"
" I've got a pretty good idea."
" You do?"
" Yeah." I answered. " The first one gave me the ability to use magic, the second enhanced my magic meter, and the third granted me the ability to perform the spin attack--I really should use that sometime rather than let it go to waste. On my previous journey, I received these same abilities through Great Fairies though using magic was a bonus given to me upon learning the spin attack."
" Okay, so what's left?"
" I doubt I'll get any magic spells so that leaves me with defence enhancement."
" What!?"
Princess Twilight was slightly taken aback by what I said though I was surprised she would react like that. Defensive magic was pretty common throughout Equestria as being the perfect means to protect oneself from anything that threatened you. Most unicorns never used it as they didn't study hard enough yet it was something they had access to should they desire it for whatever reason they had. The stronger one's magic, the more potent the shield that gets created. Her Highness sounded like she had no idea how to use defensive magic but perhaps Starlight Glimmer, in her true persona, was capable of using it.
I continued. " The last Great Fairy I encountered enhanced my defences though I never really noticed since I received it right before the final trial. Had I gotten it much sooner, it would have made things a lot easier for me though it would have also taken away kind of challenge."
" No sense in trying to cheat though, right?"
" The defence enhancement wasn't cheating." I answered. " It did help me in my final trial though considering how inexperienced I was throughout the journey what with my countless mistakes, blunders, and errors, I could have used it a lot sooner than at the end. If I do end up getting a defence enhancement at this stage, it means things will only get harder from here on out to warrant it."
" Only way to know is to restore Adagio back to normal."
" Hope I can find the remaining Stray Fairies."
" No! How is this possible!?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
" Are you finished playing?" Sunset Demon asked.
The situation Rainbow Dash found herself occurred the moment she chose to take on the she-demon. What she thought was going to be an easy victory turned out to be a lopsided affair against her. She tried using the sword given to her by Derpy, her second-in-command, only for it to shatter in two upon striking the she-demon's skin. Rainbow subsequently used another sword only for it to shatter in a similar manner--it split down the middle as opposed to in two--followed by another until she had used all of the sword her pirate sisters had brought with them on their failed attempt at entering the Great Bay Temple.
For her part, Sunset Demon didn't really do anything other than slowly lose her patience over witnessing Rainbow slowly humiliate herself. Midnight Sparkle, who had taken the opportunity to write down notes as well as check her device--much to the ire of Sunset Demon--had been chuckling away at the plight of the Gerudo Pirate Leader though she tilted her head at the she-demon to inform her that they were on a busy schedule and couldn't afford to waste too much time. Rarity, who was still coming to grips with having her voice restored after losing it, merely watched the proceedings unsure of what to do.
She thought about helping Rainbow Dash, who was obviously struggling, yet she couldn't resort to doing so as her problems began when her eggs got stolen. She didn't look like the kind of person who would hold a grudge against someone, yet Rarity made an exception in this case. Midnight Sparkle made certain to note down Rarity's reactions though was surprised that she chose not to help despite representing the Element of Generosity.
Rainbow Dash then used a stick she picked up off the sand and charged at Sunset Demon only to be swatted away like she were nothing. She landed in the water forcing her fellow pirates to fish her out before the underwater monsters could pull her under, and when they finally managed to get her out, Rainbow walked forward before dropping down onto both knees then hands, sweat dripping down her brow, her breathing erratic as a result of extreme exhaustion. The other pirates looked on in surprise at how their leader was being bested by an opponent who was clearly far more powerful.
" That's it! I have nothing left!"
" I'll take that as a sign that you admit defeat."
Rainbow Dash tried to get up but her body refused. " Guess you beat the leader of the Gerudo Pirates. Heh... Since you're the victor, that means I'm at your mercy. Do whatever you want to me but leave my sisters out of this. They didn't do anything!"
Sunset Demon scoffed. " It's about time you put an end to such a pathetic display." She walked forward before reaching out with her hand, grabbing Rainbow by the collar she wore around her neck, and lifted her off the ground. " I'd love nothing more than you kill you, Rainbow Dash, but my companion needs you to be alive long enough to prove something, so you get to survive after all. Still, I was slightly amused by how you struggled to use whatever was on hand just to hit me with." The she-demon then tossed Rainbow into the other pirates, knocking them down before walking back to where she stood before."
" What... what are you?"
" A demon, though not the kind you've seen."
" No wonder I couldn't beat you."
" It's because you're a human!" Sunset Demon said. " Your kind are weak in body but powerful in mind. Despite how pathetic you were, I'll concede that you earned my respect for not wanting to give up despite the odds being heavily stacked against you." She then turned to Midnight Sparkle, who had since finished writing down notes. " Did she display the qualities expected of her or did she fail at doing that?"
Midnight Sparkle shook her head. " My analysis indicates that she only did a sub-par effort."
" Figured she wouldn't live up to your lofty experiences."
" Perhaps you could convince her to do better?"
" What did you have in mind?"
" I'm sure someone of your calibre can come up with something."
Sunset Demon frowned and turned towards the pirates before mumbling under her breath. " Sometimes, I don't know why I didn't just kill her after she brought me back from the brink after what happened to me before. I know that I owe her for helping me but she's been nothing but annoying and all while keeping secrets. I'll find out what her true intention are, and if I like them then I suppose I'll keep her around. But, if not then I'll kill her and take whatever she has for myself." She walked over to the pirates who all cowered in fear with the sole exception of Rainbow Dash who showed defiance. " Maybe Midnight Sparkle isn't so bad... heh... I'm such a hypocrite."
Rainbow suddenly got her second wind, stood in front of her fellow pirates, arms spread out wide, and had a fierce expression on her face. " I told you to leave my sisters alone! Your beef is with me, not them! I'll make sure none of them get hurt even it means you having to kill me!"
" That can be arranged."
" Okay! Then come and get me!"
Rarity finally spoke up. " Um... I don't think this is such a good idea."
" I'm surprised at how quiet you've been this entire time." Midnight Sparkle said.
" I did not want to impose considering you were all busy talking to one another about whatever it is that you two creatures came here for, but I am afraid that I must insist that you don't pursue this current course of action." Rarity said.
Midnight Sparkle shrugged her shoulders. " While I have no problem taking your suggestion to heart, my companion doesn't see it the same way as I do. In fact, she might choose to rip your fins from your arms first before killing you where you stand." Her response prompted Sunset Demon to scold her with a stare that could freeze a person to the soul but ignored it and continued. " I am curious as to why we shouldn't indulge ourselves in a little fun."
" My people may not appreciate it."
" How many of your kind are there?"
" At least one hundred of us."
" Is that all?" Midnight Sparkle asked. " I was honestly worried there for a moment as I was expecting you to say at least a thousand or so, but then we demons can easily handle the likes of your kind since we know none of you are fighters."
Sunset Demon turned and immediately walked back over to Midnight Sparkle. " We're done here!"
" Huh? But why?"
" Either you suddenly got the urge to embrace your inner demon and think you can take on anyone, or you've completely lost your senses. I'm personally thinking that the latter is the correct answer." Sunset Demon answered. " We don't have the full extent of our power in this world! If we were to go up against that many Zoras, neither of us would be walking out of there alive, and our efforts would be completely wasted. At best, we'd be able to kill a couple of dozen before running out of steam. As much as I would love to slaughter Zoras, I'm being realistic here unlike yourself for once."
Midnight Sparkle smiled. " Perhaps my influence is rubbing off on you after all."
Sunset Demon slapped her forehead. " Gah! I should have known you were using my own attitude against me! Fine... You've proven your point that I can be way too sadistic for my own good sometimes, but don't push your luck in future, okay?" She then noticed Rarity trying to run and stopped her by blocking the entrance back into Zora Hall. The she-demon then turned her attention towards Rainbow Dash, who had someone gotten herself another sword seemingly from nowhere, and had dashed up to her using stealth before plunging her blade into the demon's shoulder. " What!? How did that sword pierce me?"
" It's my lucky sword." Rainbow Dash answered. " I concealed it on my person knowing I'd need it so I deceived you into thinking that I had run out of swords to use. Ha! The look on your face right now is priceless!" She turned to her fellow pirates and gave them a thumbs up. " I can't help but be so awesome!"
" Heh... You lived up to your reputation."
" I have to for my sisters' sake."
Sunset Demon grabbed the blade that was in her shoulder and pulled it out though she struggled as it went pretty deep. " I underestimated your tenacity. I'd love to kill you in return for wounding me but I have other things to take care of." The she-demon tossed the sword over to Rainbow Dash who caught it before checking her wound to see how serious it was; blood--or whatever it was she was bleeding--dripped down from her hand and all she did in response was clench it into a fist. " Midnight Sparkle... I think it's time for you to use that one magical ability you're capable of using."
" Quite right." Midnight Sparkle said.
" What are you up to?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" Even though none of this will matter when my companion's other self does her usual thing, that won't be for at least another day and a half from now, so it's necessary for us to take a precaution out of not wanting her to know of our presence." Midnight Sparkle answered. She took out a small bag that glowed in an ethereal light before throwing it onto the ground where it exploded in a large cloud of strange smoke. " This magic, simple as it is, will erase your memories of this encounter. We can't afford to have Sunset Shimmer know of our presence so you lot will continue to act out your lives while thinking this was nothing but a dream."
Rarity immediately dropped unconscious as a result of the strange smoke affecting her mind, the same happened with the pirates with the sole exception of Rainbow Dash. She initially resisted the magic coming from the smoke and attempted to wound Sunset Demon again thinking she could ultimately prevail. Unfortunately, her body couldn't hold out any longer and she collapsed just like everyone else. Both demons were surprised at how Rainbow was able to fight back against the magic though they knew it was in vain since she dropped down like the rest leaving them the only ones standing.
" I'm surprised you didn't use it before with Applejack." Sunset Demon said.
" Sunset Shimmer reset time shortly afterward mitigating our presence at that ranch." Midnight Sparkle said. " Besides, I only had the one bag so I was saving it for just such an emergency like this. In any case, we can't leave these pirates here otherwise Sunset will know something happened even if they don't remember. We'll have to carry them back to their fortress and dump them off before heading off towards that laboratory. That's where our next subject is waiting for us... the wild one."
" I just hope she will be cooperative."
Jumping into the water and diving down beneath the surface, the water current immediately began to pull me along the edge of the pool though this time I was being pulled in the opposite directions due to reversing the current. The previous paths I had taken were now inaccessible so that left the other two paths with one having the glowing green pipe travelling down along the wall indicating that I needed to go that way first.
Swimming around the edge of the room, the current coming from the passageway with the green pipe pulled me towards it when I got close enough, and when I swam down the path upon being pulled in completely, I was suddenly surprised a ways in by a Dexihand that practically appeared out of nowhere. Two red rupees and a pot were situated right below it though it was rather suspicious that such treasure--if you could call two rupees that compared with proper treasure from chests--would be on a path that I couldn't even stop to investigate given the current wanted to continue pulling me along.
I did manage to secure one of the two red rupees whilst avoiding the Dexihand's grasp though what was inside of the pot would forever remain a mystery as the passageway twisted about in a couple of ways before finally ejecting me into the next room. As soon as I entered this room, I had to come to a sudden stop to avoid colliding with one of those explosive mines from the Pirate's Fortress that was chained to the ground. I couldn't even drop down as two more mines were right below me so I continued swimming, activating my magic barrier upon seeing a pair of Skullfish swimming about nearby.
Right off the bat, the second half of Great Bay Temple wanted to test my reaction time by throwing monsters and obstacles right in front of me without giving me a chance to assess the situation. When both Skullfish were destroyed, I turned off my barrier and swam up to the surface, climbing out and onto a ledge that housed a pair of barrels though my eyes soon turned towards an impressive sight.
This room contained two more waterwheels that were connected together by a support beam with water pouring down in-between the two wheels that served as making the entire structure operational. A rising platform was nearby indicating that I needed to go upwards to continue onward. While I was in awe over what I was seeing, Princess Twilight once again geeked out upon seeing even more machinery at work. I couldn't help but roll my eyes in response though she quickly got back to her senses since she knew we needed to keep going and couldn't afford to oogle at this mechanism.
" Do you suppose I could use an Ice Arrow to freeze the opening that the water is pouring down from, stopping the waterwheels?" I asked.
" It's certainly doable." Twilight answered. " But, I suggest you do that when we're a bit further up as remember what happened back with the other waterwheel? When it came to a stop, everything that was mechanical also came to a stop."
" So I need to stop the water's flow at the right time?"
" Yes."
" I wonder where that would be..."
" Only way to know is to use that rising platform and see what happens."
I then noticed a second platform moving back and forth above us and pointed it out to Princess Twilight. " Maybe I can fire an Ice Arrow from up there? That shouldn't be too much of a problem especially if the waterwheels stop in just the right way."
" Ah, I see what you're thinking." Twilight said. " Using the waterwheels as platforms... Let's see what happens though hopefully you'll only need to use two arrows, one ice and one fire to stop and start the water's flow again."
As soon as the rising platform came down, dipped underwater for a few seconds, and was about to begin its ascent again, I jumped onto it and moved upwards until it came to a stop, and that's when I saw what to do next. The other platform moved back and forth on a horizontal plane yet didn't go past the bar that the two waterwheels were connected to. A jump was necessary to reach it though it involved landing on the bar before leaping again. I had to time it right so that both platforms were positioned correctly to enable the leap across otherwise I'd slip off the bar and fall into the water.
I had to wait a few moments before the vertical platform was high enough and the horizontal platform was making its way over to the bar. Once they were in position, I leapt and landed on the bar though my feet slipped a little because of not taking the bar's speed into consideration, yet I managed to leap again and landed on the other platform. This one eventually stopped at a ledge that travelled slightly upward and to the right before stopping in front of the waterwheels, giving me a perfect place to shoot an Ice Arrow from and hopeful stop the wheels in the right spot--failure would mean wasting both arrows and magic until I got it right.
When I got onto the ledge, I ran up until I stood before the waterwheels and saw that one was different from the other. The one on the left only had two spokes sticking out of the center compared to the other one that had eight. Thinking quickly, I deduced that the left wheel would allow me to cross over to a small ledge that housed a door, yet the right wheel seemed to serve no purpose apart from blocking my view of the hole in the ceiling I needed to freeze to stop the water from flowing down.
My eyes caught sight of a small treasure chest hiding behind the right wheel and my gut was telling me that a Stray Fairy could be inside of it. Sure, relying on instinct wasn't always the best course of action, yet why else would anyone place a chest in such an inconspicuous location? It was practically screaming something important was inside and needed to be opened up right away. Hopefully, I could freeze the spot where the water was coming from without wasting too many arrows and magic.
I grabbed my face and took off the Zora Mask--I needed to be a human for the time being--flipping my hair back in the process before putting the mask away and switching over to my bow and prepping an Ice Arrow. Looking ahead at the right waterwheel, it was moving at a decent pace so hopefully I could hit my target and not hit any of the spokes. Firing my arrow, it sailed across the room only to hit a spoke, causing me to fume under my breath. How could I have missed such an easy shot like that!? I mean, come on! I've gotten much better at using one of these things and then that happens!? Gah!
Once I got that little tantrum out of my system, I fired another arrow that struck the opening, causing it to freeze in an instant. The entire mechanism began slowing down due to the water no longer powering it before coming to a halt, the spokes of the left waterwheel lay flat allowing me access to the door that was located on the other side. My first shot failed while my second was successful. Without saying a word, I put my bow away, walked across the bar, over the waterwheel, and reached the chest, kicking it open freeing the Stray Fairy that quickly entered my body.
" How many is that now?"
" That should be our tenth."
" Only a few more to go."
" Hey, are you okay, Sunset?"
I looked at Princess Twilight with a frown. " You saw how I had to use two arrows just to freeze that hole, right? Why do those kinds of things keep happening? Why can't I just hit my target flawlessly instead of having to waste precious ammunition?"
" Maybe you need more practice?"
I felt absolutely crestfallen. " Ouch... Way to shatter my confidence."
Princess Twilight comforted me. " I didn't mean to do that but you need to realize that you can't master everything just like that. Like magic in Equestria, the items you find in this world take time for someone to use them correctly, and that involves practicing until it becomes second-nature. I know you've used several of these items before but it's been a while since that particular adventure, so you being out of practice makes sense."
" But still..."
" Maybe you should practice during the next three day cycle?"
" That sounds like a good idea."
Princess Twilight then noticed something that caught her attention. " Sunset... You might want to have a look down there." I followed her direction and looked down where I saw another treasure chest hidden inside of a small alcove. " That would be a good place to hide a Stray Fairy, but if you were to go and open that chest, you'll have to allow the water to flow by melting the ice and then freeze the hole again to progress forward."
Despite wanting to continue on and not have to backtrack throughout this room, I just couldn't leave a Stray Fairy behind especially since I had almost collected them all. Since the chest was down at the bottom inside of the alcove, my only option involved pulling myself towards it. Taking out the Hookshot and aiming it downward at the chest, I fired the chain, sinking into the wood upon impact before pulling me down towards it. Upon kicking the chest open and acquiring Stray Fairy number eleven, I looked back up and sighed knowing that I had to go through all of that again.
Jumping down into the water, swimming across to the other side where the barrels were and climbing onto the ledge, I took out the Hero's Bow and prepped a Fire Arrow before shooting it at the frozen chunk of ice--I hit it on my first try which didn't vindicate the fact that I missed it earlier--melting it and allowing water to flow again. The machinery began chugging to life so I walked forward, waited for the rising platform to come down and jumped onto it in order to go through the same process as before. This is why I didn't enjoy backtracking because it wasted time and made things longer than necessary.
By the time I jumped across to the other side of the room, ran up the path, used an Ice Arrow to freeze the hole again, and walked across the flat spokes of the waterwheel, I was about ready to call it quits on this whole adventure, but I knew that I needed to keep going despite my grievances. Entering the next room, I wasn't surprised to see more water dropping down from above though this time there were three waterfalls instead of one, yet this was nothing compared to what else was waiting for me.
The room consisted of three giant mechanical see-saws that made me wonder how I was supposed to weigh them down--I doubted that even my Goron form would be heavy enough to get them moving--though the water I noticed moments ago flowed down on top of one. It seemed that in order to progress through this room, I needed to freeze the holes the water flowed out from as well as melt said ice afterwards to raise and lower the platforms. That would require a lot of magic though it was fortunate that a pair of Green Chu-Chus were bouncing around the room--destroying them would produce magic jars.
Princess Twilight began looking around. " You need to rise and lower these accordingly."
" I figured that part out but I don't know where to start."
" Since the Green Chu-Chus re-spawn after a while upon defeating them, you'll never run out of magic so you can effectively waste Fire and Ice Arrows." Twilight said. " That being said, you don't have arrows to waste so unless you can find some inside of those boxes over there, you should make sure that each of your shots counts." Her Highness pointed to a few boxes in one corner of the room. " Then again, there is a Yellow Chu-Chu in here who gives out arrows upon being defeated though that might be a slow process given it takes roughly a minute until another Chu-Chu spawns in."
" Huh... I never noticed that yellow one until you mentioned it."
" They will no doubt get in your way so it might be best to cut them down for a temporary reprieve."
" And the Stray Fairies?"
" You have four more left to find though I can't see any of them around here."
I then looked down into a pool of water and could see something though I wasn't sure what it was. " I think there's a crate down there though why do you suppose it would be there to begin with?" I then slapped my forehead upon realizing that I had just answered my own question with another one. " I'll just change into a Zora and see for myself." As I took out my mask and looked down at it, I wondered if it were possible to go through a quick transformation rather than having to go through the entire thing? It would save me some mental anguish as sometimes it wasn't very comfortable changing forms especially on the fly.
Putting the mask onto my face and jumping into the water, my body parts changed from human to Zora--you get used to it after a while--and upon finishing my transformation and sinking down, it turned out that the crate was actually a barrel. There was no doubt in my mind that a Stray Fairy was trapped inside of it as why else would there be one down here in such a small area most probably wouldn't even notice. My fins weren't strong enough to break open the barrel, nor would my punches and kicks be effective since I did move slightly slower when underwater. I had to rely on my magic barrier to do the trick.
Stepping backwards until my back was up against the wall, I then pushed myself forward, activating my barrier and smashing the barrel to pieces releasing the Stray Fairy from its prison--my twelfth one overall--before it entered my body. I swam forward in hopes of being able to get out of this area from the other end but it was in vain as something was blocking the way out forcing me to double-back to the way I dropped down--one of those see-saw platforms had blocked the other way out.
Upon getting back to the main part of the room and changing back to a human by taking off my Zora Mask, I began contemplating on how to solve the puzzle before me. Taking my own advice, I needed to freeze and melt the ice in the correct sequence if I wanted to do this without wasting magic and arrows--I had an infinite supply of both on hand courtesy of the Chu-Chus though I didn't want to have to rely on them if I could avoid it.
" Okay... one of the see-saws have water pushing one side of them down while the two don't."
" Maybe we should start with one of them?"
" What do you suppose would happen when I use my respective arrows?"
" If you use an Ice Arrow to freeze the holes, it will cause the see-saw to veer in the other direction." Twilight answered. " Likewise, melting the ice will make the water push down on the one side and veer the see-saw accordingly. You need to be standing on the side that won't be affected by the water."
One of the see-saws had a platform that I could reach while the other was suspended in the air. " Guess I need to start with this one then." I said, walking onto it and looking up at the frozen ice chunk that blocked the water from coming down. " When this platform gets raised up, we can reach the ledge that's above us."
" Take your time with this, Sunset."
" I know."
Taking out the Hero's Bow and nocking a Fire Arrow into the bowstring, I aimed up at the ice, fired my arrow, and watched the ice melt, causing water to gush down from the now exposed hold and pushing down on the opposite platform. My one then rose up until it came to a stop next to the one that was suspended in mid-air so I jumped onto it and fired another arrow to melt the second ice chunk. Good thing they were large enough for me to hit otherwise I'd be throwing a tantrum like I did before--I was actually thankful for that.
When the platform rose up upon the other being pushed down by the water, I was shocked to see another switch waiting on the ledge I saw from below. I supposed that I should have realized it because of the green pipe glowing right up to a certain point before looking dull the rest of the way across the room. It also meant changing into a Zora just for this one moment due to not being able to push the switch using my own natural strength. By the time I am finished with this temple, I doubted I'd ever want to come in here again because of having to deal with so much pressure.
Jumping over to the switch, I decided to push it to see if I could without the need of changing forms--it refused to budge an inch. When it became apparent that my strength wasn't enough, I planted my foot on the switch as a means of venting out my frustration before taking out the Zora Mask and placing it on my face. As my body started changing once again, I just couldn't help but feel angry over needing to change forms just for a stupid switch. No wonder this place was really taxing me. I was very close to losing my nerves and wanting to smash something that was within range.
Upon becoming a Zora again, I pushed the switch until it clicked into place and dropped down allowing the water in the green pipe to continue flowing. While I was happy that the water was going to its final destination, my annoyance over needing to change forms just for a switch hadn't relinquished itself. I'd get over it but it was the principal of the thing. For my own sake and that of Princess Twilight, I'd allow this anger to pass and focus on what was important. I was about to take off my mask when a strange sound suddenly came out of nowhere though it sounded really close.
" What is that noise?"
" It's coming from the green pipe." Twilight answered. " And it's a Real Bombchu!"
" There must be something over there to warrant it being where it is."
" Maybe or it could be a trap."
" How do I go about getting rid of it as a Zora?"
" As you know, when a Real Bombchu spots you, it charges towards you and the bomb on its tail lights up." Twilight answered. " This then prompts you to use your shield to bounce it back where it explodes upon impact. It's possible to defeat it without triggering its explosive though that involves hitting it from a safe distance. It's not an easy task since it moves about all the time. You could try using your fins though you could unintentionally attract it this way."
" So it's a case of careful aiming?"
" Yes."
" I hope I can hit it on my first try." I said as I extended my fins out. I raised my arms and aimed at the Real Bombchu as it ran around the pipe repeatedly though this made it difficult to track it. " Shoot! The little fella is moving too fast for me to keep up with it." As it continued running and I continued following, my arms were quickly growing tired from holding them up for much longer than I had hoped. " Guess I should just throw them and see what happens." Launching my fins forward, the first one bounced off the pipe, attracting the attention of the Real Bombchu, but before it could make a move, my other fin whipped around and struck it from behind on its bomb, blowing it up.
" Nice shot."
My jaw dropped. " I wasn't expecting that."
" Shall we investigate the pipe?" Twilight asked. " It looks like you can walk along it."
I nodded my head though I was surprised that Princess Twilight changed her mind. I guessed she realized that something had to be on the other end of this pipe since there was a monster that had blocked the path forward.
Jumping onto the pipe, I struggled to keep my balance out of fear of falling down to the ground below--I didn't want that to happen as it would have meant backtracking all the way back up here and wasting my resources--because of how thin the pipe was. Once I felt comfortable enough to walk forward, I did so until I came upon a section of pipe that went upwards slightly before heading right. I leapt up and was able to grab onto the edge due to the top of this part of the pipe being within reach--good thing my Zora form was taller than any of my other forms including my true self--before pulling myself up.
Walking across the pipe and then dropping down to a ledge below, a treasure chest could be seen on the other side of quite the large gap. I suspected that a Stray Fairy was trapped inside of it as why else go to so much trouble hiding one chest? Judging from the distance, there was no chance I could jump across so that meant relying on the Hookshot to pull me across by using the chest.
Once again, I grabbed my face, pulled the Zora Mask off, and flipped my hair back--I knew that I'd need to change back to a Zora soon enough especially to progress down the remaining passageway in the central chamber--before taking out the Hookshot. Thankfully, the chest was a large enough target so aiming wasn't an issue. I fired the chain where it sunk into the chest and I sailed across landing in front of it. Kicking it open with my foot, the Stray Fairy came out before entering my body giving me my thirteenth one. Now all I needed to do was find my way out of this room, and it started by jumping down to the floor below.
" Ooof!"
" Are you okay, Sunset?"
I nodded. " I'm okay though that was a longer drop than I thought."
" Why did you drop down to the floor?"
" Well, we need to make our way back to the central chamber and explore that remaining path."
Princess Twilight began nudging my pouch and it didn't take me long to figure out her meaning. " You know that you could just play the Song of Soaring, go back to the entrance of the temple, and work your way back to that room, right? I mean, you could go back from where we are right now though it will involve using a lot of magic."
I almost slapped my forehead but stopped myself at the last minute. " Guess I need to be reminded of that."
" That's what I'm here for."
" Do we have any more treasure chests to find?"
Princess Twilight reached into my pocket, pulled out the Dungeon Map, and began to look at it. " According to the map, that chest you just opened was the last one. The other two Stray Fairies must either be hiding inside of pots or trapped inside bubbles. Either way, the only place they could be is right where the boss door is located, and it just so happens to be down the one path we haven't explored. You can either pick up some magic and arrows here or wait until we get there before looking around."
" I have a feeling I'll need my Zora body as well."
" Yes." Twilight said. " The other two bosses required you to use your Deku and Goron forms respectively, so it makes sense that this next one requires your Zora form. Still, you should pick up those supplies just in case."
Nodding my head, I took out the Ocarina of Time, and played the Song of Soaring, wings once again appeared on my back, wrapped themselves around me, and spun me around several before disappearing into thin air. I reappeared back in the first room moments later, surprising the giant turtle once again--it acted like it had never seen a person appearing out of thin air--and began heading towards the central chamber. Of course, I had to go through the waterwheel room much to my displeasure, but at least I didn't have to solve the puzzle again. As soon as I entered the room, I jumped onto the rising platform and waited for it to reach its destination before jumping off.
Without even realizing it, I was blindsided by the Skulltula that waited above though I had no time to destroy it--doing so would have proved nothing other than me holding petty grudges--so I ran past it, jumped on the water that was coming out of the yellow funnel, jumped onto the other platform, ran along, crossed the yellow pipe, and back into the central chamber where the water was still flowing in the other direction. Looking back on it now, once you've solved a puzzle in one of these temple room's, it feels like it never existed since all you're doing is running past everything without having to stop and think.
Taking out the Zora Mask and placing it on my face, I jumped into the water, making a big splash, and watched as my body changed from human to Zora before sinking down and allowing the current to pull me along. The only passageway that was left for me to explore was one at the very bottom of the pool that had the same green pipe from earlier heading in that direction but it was a bit tricky to swim down. I bounced off against the walls by the current like it didn't want me to go that way, like something on the other side didn't want me to reach it out of a possible fear?
In any case, I had to go that way as I wanted this temple to be over with. Using my legs to propel me off of the wall after bouncing into it and activating my magic barrier long enough to give me enough speed, I began to swim against the current though it proved challenging as it was strong though I was stronger. After swimming for a few seconds, I got pulled by the current coming the passageway and turned off my barrier as I stumbled down the path, bouncing off the walls until being ejected into another room.
Numerous columns greeted me the moment I entered this room and I suspected that something large had to be on top to warrant so many. I was just about to swim up to the surface to see what I could find when Princess Twilight began bopping me on the head to grab my attention.
" I sense a Stray Fairy nearby?"
I looked all around me and couldn't see anything. " Are you sure about that, Twilight?"
" As a fairy in this world, I can sense them though this one is very faint."
" It must be trapped in a bubble."
Princess Twilight nodded. " Most likely as I can't sense them if they are trapped inside of a chest or a pot. I'm not sure why that is the case though since fairy folk can detect magical energies from anywhere provided it's familiar to them."
" I'm not doubting your magic, Twilight, but where could a fairy be in here?" I asked. I then walked forward searching in every possible direction for any trace of a fairy but so far my searching didn't bear any fruit. " It must be hidden really well if I can't find a bubble just by looking around." My eyes then suddenly caught the sight of the bubble in question, though it was in a most precarious location and my face developed a shocked expression. " Now that's what I call a cheap move by whoever put it there!"
" If you get too close, the current will drag you into the passageway and who knows where you'll end up."
" Maybe I could use my fins?"
" Yes, but then how would you grab the fairy?" Twilight asked. " It won't enter your body when the bubble has burst and swimming up to collect will send you down the passageway, so unless you have another idea, this could be difficult.
Her Highness was right. I didn't want to run the risk of being pulled down this passageway considering how close I was to the end of the temple, yet I had no desire to leave the fairy behind as I needed them all to restore Adagio's body back to normal. I needed to come up with something and quickly.